WIYNFest - Saturday Program

Saturday Program

A celebration of the first half-decade of the WIYN Observatory, the window on the universe of the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale University, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory.

Galileo to WIYN and Beyond: Innovation in Astronomical Instrumentation

Charles Bailyn (Yale)

In 1609, Galileo turned his new telescope to the heavens. In a single month he discovered the phases of Venus, the satellites of Jupiter, sunspots, and mountains on the Moon. Great advances in instrumentation have always led to cosmic discoveries. This multi-media presentation will look at past and future leaps in astronomical technology and our understanding of the Universe.

Remote Video Tour of WIYN (with Remote Observing demonstration)

Suzanne Jacoby (NOAO)

Astronomy captures the imagination like no other science, providing both an opportunity and a responsibility to promote science throughout the nation. A vital and effective outreach program is a WIYN-win initiative for all.

Two is a Binary, Three Thousand is a Crowd

Con Deliyannis (Indiana)
Keivan Stassun (Wisconsin)

Most stars form in clusters; even the Sun may once have had several thousand neighbors in its backyard. Like a cohort in a medical study, every star in a cluster has the same age and the same origins. And like medical researchers, astronomers use star clusters to study the life and death of stars … as well as the origin of the elements, the formation of the Milky Way, and the age of the Universe.

All of (Galaxy) Life is a Stage

Eric Wilcots (Wisconsin)
Katherine Rhode (Yale)

Dwarf galaxies are a stage on which we watch the play of galaxy evolution. Massive stars play the lead roles. Their winds during life and their explosions as supernovae at death deposit tremendous energy into their parent galaxies, triggering the formation of new generations of stars enriched with newly created exotic elements. WIYN has been watching this play for five years, allowing a critical review of the drama.

Exploding Stars and the Expansion of the Universe

Robert Kirshner (Harvard) [invited]

We have had almost a century to become comfortable with the astonishing fact that the Universe is expanding. Now we find that it is not merely expanding, but accelerating, a discovery which implies the existence of a "dark" energy that counteracts the force of gravity.

WIYN 2010 - A Report from the Future

George Jacoby (WIYN, Director)

The WIYN telescope has contributed to a number of scientific advances since it first went into operation in 1995. Scientific and technical highlights from those first 15 years will be presented, especially with regard to WIYN's role in determining the nature of dark matter in the Local Universe.

Your Turn!

We have gathered together a most distinguished panel of astronomers to answer almost (!) any question that has been on your mind for several minutes or several decades.

Moderator:
Robert Mathieu (Wisconsin, WIYN Board President)

Panelists:
Jay Gallagher (Wisconsin, GEMINI Board President)
Kent Honeycutt (Indiana, Department Chair)
Jeremy Mould (NOAO, Director)
Gus Oemler (Carnegie Observatories, Director)

Cocktails and Dinner (Great Hall of Dinosaurs, Peabody Museum)



	Saturday Program A celebration of the first half-decade of the WIYN Observatory, the window on the universe of the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale University, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. Galileo to WIYN and Beyond: Innovation in Astronomical Instrumentation Charles Bailyn (Yale) In 1609, Galileo turned his new telescope to the heavens. In a single month he discovered the phases of Venus, the satellites of Jupiter, sunspots, and mountains on the Moon. Great advances in instrumentation have always led to cosmic discoveries. This multi-media presentation will look at past and future leaps in astronomical technology and our understanding of the Universe. Remote Video Tour of WIYN (with Remote Observing demonstration) Suzanne Jacoby (NOAO) Astronomy captures the imagination like no other science, providing both an opportunity and a responsibility to promote science throughout the nation. A vital and effective outreach program is a WIYN-win initiative for all. Two is a Binary, Three Thousand is a Crowd Con Deliyannis (Indiana) Keivan Stassun (Wisconsin) Most stars form in clusters; even the Sun may once have had several thousand neighbors in its backyard. Like a cohort in a medical study, every star in a cluster has the same age and the same origins. And like medical researchers, astronomers use star clusters to study the life and death of stars … as well as the origin of the elements, the formation of the Milky Way, and the age of the Universe. All of (Galaxy) Life is a Stage Eric Wilcots (Wisconsin) Katherine Rhode (Yale) Dwarf galaxies are a stage on which we watch the play of galaxy evolution. Massive stars play the lead roles. Their winds during life and their explosions as supernovae at death deposit tremendous energy into their parent galaxies, triggering the formation of new generations of stars enriched with newly created exotic elements. WIYN has been watching this play for five years, allowing a critical review of the drama. Exploding Stars and the Expansion of the Universe Robert Kirshner (Harvard) [invited] We have had almost a century to become comfortable with the astonishing fact that the Universe is expanding. Now we find that it is not merely expanding, but accelerating, a discovery which implies the existence of a "dark" energy that counteracts the force of gravity. WIYN 2010 - A Report from the Future George Jacoby (WIYN, Director) The WIYN telescope has contributed to a number of scientific advances since it first went into operation in 1995. Scientific and technical highlights from those first 15 years will be presented, especially with regard to WIYN's role in determining the nature of dark matter in the Local Universe. Your Turn! We have gathered together a most distinguished panel of astronomers to answer almost (!) any question that has been on your mind for several minutes or several decades. Moderator: Robert Mathieu (Wisconsin, WIYN Board President) Panelists: Jay Gallagher (Wisconsin, GEMINI Board President) Kent Honeycutt (Indiana, Department Chair) Jeremy Mould (NOAO, Director) Gus Oemler (Carnegie Observatories, Director) Cocktails and Dinner (Great Hall of Dinosaurs, Peabody Museum)